Eula Biss

As a writer, author and essayist, Eula Biss is a powerful novelist, whose works explore topics of race, gender, and power dynamics, among others. Her writing style is often experimental, challenging readers' preconceived notions of an idea or concept.

Biss was born in Chicago on February 26, 1977. She attended and graduated from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa where she studied English and human and scientific communication. After college, she went on to attend the University of Iowa's Nonfiction Writing Program. Biss has taught numerous writing classes, both in colleges and for non-profit organizations. She currently lives in the Chicago area with her husband and two children.

Biss’ debut novel, Notes from No Man’s Land, was a finalist for both the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. It received the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize and was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times. This award-winning collection of personal essays examines historical and contemporary themes of race, identity, and American culture. The book reflects on issues of white privilege and complacency, and looks at the cultural context of both American and European cultures.

Biss’ second book, The Balloonists, is a collection of essays about the joys and tragedies of parenting. She reflects on the anxieties of bringing a child into the world and the ensuing fears of being a parent. The essays explore the joys and frustrations of parenting, her own personal anxieties, and the implications of raising a child in a world of increasing technology and surveillance.

Biss’ third book, On Immunity: An Inoculation, is a widely acclaimed work of nonfiction that examines the history and current public discourse of immunization and immunization policies. It critiques public fear of illness, the implications of scientific and medical knowledge, and the idea of collective protection in relation to immunization. On Immunity won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was named one of the “14 Best Books of the Year” by The New York Times.

Biss' latest work, Having and Being Had, is a novel that tells the story of a couple, who moved to a “nice” suburban neighborhood, only to find it full of secrets and inequalities. Through this narrative, Leta explores themes of class, privilege, and love. Her story reveals how our lives, lives we believe to be ours, can be manipulated by the larger powers that be.

It is clear that Eula Biss is one of the most important voices of her generation. Her writing is both poignant and challenging, giving readers a unique and honest perspective on personal, societal, and historical issues. Through her work, Biss encourages the reader to think critically and honestly, asking the tough and necessary questions of modern society.